Folding and siphoning funnel



Feb. 28, 1928. 1,660,442

F. H. HAMPTON FOLDING AND SIPHONING FUNNEL Filed Jan. 1327 ATTORNEY? Patented Feb, 28, 1928.

1 UNITED STATES FRANCIS I-I. HAMPTON, or SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH.

FOLDING AND SIPI-IONING FUNNEL.

Application filed January 31, 1927. Serial No. 164,666.

My invention relates to improvements in folding and siphoning funnels.

The primary object of my invention is to provide a funnel which may be conveniently 5 boxed, packaged or stored for transportation in a motor driven vehicle and utilized in an extended form to facilitate filling gasoline tanks or oil reservoirs, or to facilitate the removal of gasoline or oil from such tanks or reservoirs eitherby a pumping or siphoning action.

Whilemyprimary purpose is to provide a funnel which is peculiarly adapted to the requirements for motor driven vehicles, my

improvedfunnel is also-'adaptedfor a wide range of purposes, including practically every purpose for which either a tunnel or siphon of similar capacity may be employed. Specific objects of this invention are to provide a, funnel having a valved hopper or receiving bowlwith anextensiblej spout composed of telescoping sections adapted to be received one within the other and nested within the lower portion of the bowl, whereby the entire tunnel may be supported within a space no larger than that required for the storage of the hopper or bowl; also, to provide a funnel having anextensible spout with means for maintaining the sections or inemhere ofsaid spout in air or liquid-tight rela- I tionto each other whilebeing extended, so,

that, by closing one end of the spout and extending thesame, the funnel may be used as a pump; also, to provide'such a funnel with a suction duct, preferably a flexible duct,

. whereby the same may be employed to withdraw liquid from a reservoir either by a pumping or by a siphoning action; also, to provide means whereby a flexible suction 40 duct may be connected tothe. funnel within the bowl or hopper and folded and retained within such 'bowl when'not in use.

Inthe drawings: 1 9 v M, 5

Figure 1 is an elevation, partly in vertical section, showing my improved funnel as it appears wheni'olded for storage purposes.

Figure 2 is a view of the same, partly, in

elevation and partly in vertical section, as it appears whenextended for use as asiphon. Figure 3 is a detailed sectional view of the bowl or hopper portion, showing a modified form of construction. I j y p i Figure .4 is a plan view of the structure illustrated in Figure 3. v I

Like parts are identified by the same reference characters throughout the several views.

A receiving bowl or hopper 1 tapers downwardly and is provided with a short cylindrical extension 2 at the lower end thereof, to which is slidingly fitted an extensible cylindrical spout section 8. Additional; spout sections ormeinbers 1-, 5 and 6 are successively of suliiciently reduced diameter to telescope within the preceding section, whereby all of the sections may be nested, each within the one preceding it, and {received within the lower portion of the bowl, 1 and its cylindrical portion 2. The lower section 6 is preferably formed with a project mg 11p ,7 which may serve as a handlefto facilitate the extension of "the sections.

Each ofthe sections preferably has its i lower end margin 9 contracted ,or inturned against the wall of the section below it and its upper margin 10 correspondinglyex-t the outwardly turnedanargins 10 of the next section, thereby ensuringan air-tight joint not only when the sections are extended, but

also, while they are being adjusted from the contractedlto the extended position. i

In Figures 1 and 2, the bowl is shown as provided with a transverse or horizontal partition 14, suitably. ported at 15 and 16. The 'marginal'wall of the port 15 is downwardly turned to form a tubular boss 17, preferably provided with a screen or strainer 18 at its lower end. A valve 19, which may consist of an ordinary'cork, is adapted to close this port and is preferably connected with the wallot the bowl, by a flexible connection or chain 20. The portion of the partition occupied by the port 16 is provided with an upwardly projecting nipple 22, which receives a flexible hose 2?, the nipple preferably having a bulbousenlargement to provide secure'anchorage'tor thehose; The

partition Minis provided with suitablebrack-. ets 25, preferably of resilient, material, and which are extended upwardly along the side wall of the bowl in spaced relationthereto" and in a position to receive and retain-the hose in a coiled pos1tion w1th1nthe upper partofthe bowl as illustrated in Figure '1.

Referring to'Figures 3 and hit maybe assumed'that thestructure is the same as that shown inFiguresl and 2 except as to the portions now to bQdGSCl1bGCl.-

the upper surface of the partition 1s. The

partition is provided with ports 29 and the valve disk is provided with corresponding ports which may be brought into and out of registry with the ports 29 by rotation of the valve disk. The ports 30 in the valve disk are preferably screened as illustrated in Figure 3 and the disk is provided with upwardly projecting brackets 25 which not only perform the function of the brackets25 in holding the hose as illustrated in Figure 1, but also perform the additional function of handles, whereby the valve disk may be rotated to open or close the ports 29. With the form of construction illustrated in Figures 1 3 and 1, the nipple 22 may be unscrewed and the valve disk removed and cleaned. When removed, the brackets 25 and the hose 23 will, of course, also be removed, leaving the upper part of the funnel bowl free of obstructions, whereby it may easily be cleaned. The port below the partition may be kept clean and free of dust by inserting a cork in the lower end of spout section 6 and keeping the partition valve closed when the funnel is not in use.

When the funnel is to used as a funnel, the spout sections are extended and the partition valve opened and thereupon the liquid may be poured into the funnel and allowed to pass through the port 18 (Figures 1 and 2), or the ports 29 (Figures 3 and 4). If the device is to be used for pumpingor siphoning purposes, the valve 19 (or 28) will be close-d and the spout sections telescoped or collapsed to substantially the stora e position as indicated by dotted lines in Figure 2. Thereupon, the hose 23 may be inserted in the liquid to be pumped or siphoned and by placing the finger of the user over the open end of section 6 and extending the sections, a s'uiiicient vacuum will be created within the spout and the portion of the bowl below the partition to draw the liquid through the hose 23 into the enlarged cavity thus formed. If the lower end of section 6 is below the level of the liquid into which the hose is inserted, the device may then be operated as a siphon. If it is not convenient to adjust the lower end of section 6 below the level of the liquid which receives the hose, a quantity of the liquid may, nevertheless, be drawn into the funnel and this liquid may be delivered at any desired point to which the funnel may be transported. Thereupon, the hose may again be coiled within the upper portion of the funnel bowl and the spout sections telescoped within the lower portion of the bowl as indicated by dotted lines in Figures 2 and 3, thus adjusting the funnel for storage purposes.

In a companion application, Serial No. 108,108, filed May 10, 1926, I have shown, described and claimed a. funnel having nesting spout sections and a valved partition to which a flexible tube is connected and normally coiled within the funnel bowl above the partition, but in that application the spout sections are tapered and are not air tight. During extension the funnel and the flexible'tube' may be employed for siphoning purposes if liquid is available to be poured through the funnel for starting the siphon, but the claims of that application were and are limited to the funnel bowl with valved partition or hose and hose retaining means, no claim being made to any siphon starting feature. Since the filing of this application, a patent has been granted upon said companion application dated February 22,1927, and numbered 1,618,531. The claims of this application are, therefore, limited to a funnel structure which is adapted to be employed as a siphon starter without the aid of liquid from another source of supply.

I claim:

1. Afunnel having a receiving portion and an extensible spout portion having walls movable upon each other in air tight relation during extension of the spout portion, a valve controlling the flow of liquid through the two portions, and a flexible suction duct communicating with the space enclosed by the extensible spout portion at the outlet side of the valve, whereby when the valve is closed the outlet end of the spout portion may also be closed by the finger of the oper ator and the spout portion extended to de velop suction in said duct.

2. A funnel having a receiving portion and an outlet portion provided with a discharge port, a valve controlling delivery from the receiving portion to the outlet portion, and a suction duct communicating with the outlet portion independently of the valve and receiving portion, said outlet portion being capable of expansion and adapted when expanded with the discharge port alosed to draw fluid through said suction uct.

3. A funnel having a receiving bowl subdivided into upper and lower portions by a transverse partition having an aperture through which liquid may pass when poured intotlie upper portion of the bowl, a set of telescoping spout members adapted to be nested within the lower portion of the bowl or extended therefrom in a lineal series of reduced extensions, said spout members being in air tight relation to each other in all positions of adjustment, a hose in communication with the space below said partition, and means for closing said partition aperture preparatory to the use of the hose.

t. A funnel having a bowl provided with a transverse centrally apertured partition, a flexible hose provided with a nipple threaded into said central aperture, said partition having another aperture lateral thereto and a rotary disk valve provided with a port adapted for registry with said lateral aperture and normally held in place by said nipple.

5. A. funnel having a bowl provided with a transverse centrally apertured partition, a flexible hose provided with a nipple threaded into said central aperture, said partition having another aperture lateral thereto, and a rotary disk valve provided with a port adapted for registry with said lateral aperture and normally held inplaee by said nipple, saidrotary valve being provided with brackets adapted to normally retain the hose in a coiled position within the funnel.

6. In a funnel having receiving and outlet portions and an intermediate valved partition, the combination with the outlet portion, of a flexible suction duct and vacuum pro ducing means. l'

7. A. valved funnel provided with a flexible suction duct and having an expandible outlet portion adapted to have its end closed to develop a vacuum in the suction duet.

FRANCIS H. HAMPTON.

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